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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22376836">hurry on home</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/rain_at_dawn/pseuds/rain_at_dawn'>rain_at_dawn</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>stars, scattered [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>SHINee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Hopeful Ending, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Minor Violence, Vampire Slayers AU, implied trauma</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-01-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 14:42:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>898</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22376836</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/rain_at_dawn/pseuds/rain_at_dawn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Disconnect me from my skin<br/>Erase the mark, begin again</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Choi Minho/Kim Kibum | Key</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>stars, scattered [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1608877</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>hurry on home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>prompted by @lgbtminkey on Twitter</p>
<p>song inspo - hurry on home by sleater-kinney</p>
<p>also, this au draws heavily from buffy the vampire slayer lore ;)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>His clothes are laid out fresh from the washing-machine; Jinki’s made sure of that.</p>
<p>The note says: <em>At the library. If late, don’t wait up.</em></p>
<p>This is the closest Minho’s come to getting an admonition from his Watcher. He how much his insomnia bothers Jinki, mostly because of the way Minho sees it as the least of his problems. He doesn’t have the heart to tell Jinki that all the little chores he gets done for him – like throwing in Minho’s grass-stained clothes from nightly patrols into the laundry, microwaving take-out and reminding him to eat it once he’s reminded him to shower – don’t amount to much but guilt.</p>
<p>A small part of Minho admits to himself that the best thing Jinki’s done for him so far is to allow him his patrols at all. Routine brought sense to his existence, which sometimes felt like the closest thing to peace he had when the sun rose on another day to get through.</p>
<p>He leaves the note attached to the fridge, turning away to make the last checks to his crossbow and stakes. Here’s to the night and all the freaks that inhabit it, he tries to cheer himself as he makes his way out the door. The warm, comforting tingle of Taemin’s warding spell brushes through him while he locks the apartment; the comfort it brings fades with each step he takes away from it.</p>
<p>Midway through the parking-lot, he texts Jinki:</p>
<p>
  <em>Don’t wait up</em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>If the world had gone to hell in recent years, then Minho had no idea what to call what he’d been through to save it. He’d gradually begun to think of it as a masterpiece in its own twisted right; the modern legends had gained a hero with his name attached to it. It was his heart that had gone crooked instead, in the aftermath.</p>
<p>The shadow towards the east of the cemetery suddenly leaps forward, bearing its fangs. Minho doesn’t know if it’s his own rusty reflexes or something more troubling, but it’s knocking the wind out of him and tackling him to the ground before he can aim a stake at its unbeating heart.</p>
<p>It’s pinning him to the ground and its mouth lunges for his neck and then it cries out, the last vestiges of terror leaving its yellow eyes as they crumble to dust. Minho barely has time to catch his breath when another dark figure looms over him.</p>
<p>“Definitely rusty.” Kibum enunciates with his stake drawn, each word crisp and cold.</p>
<hr/>
<p>It’s the law of their little gang of Scoobies – Taemin’s idea for the nickname – that’s saved Minho tonight. Jinki had told Kibum’s Watcher and Jonghyun had told Kibum. Kibum doesn’t say as much as he insinuates and Minho’s not up for their usual bout of sparring, verbal or otherwise.</p>
<p>The rest of the night is uneventful enough that they break one of the cardinal rules of Slayer patrols. The detour Kibum leads him down brings them both to Kibum’s modest studio apartment where a cold six-pack awaits them in the fridge.</p>
<p>They crack open the first cans and gulp them in sync. Watchers call it ‘communal instinct’, which is a term a born individualist like Kibum takes full offense at, though it hardly seemed to have crossed his mind the last time he and Minho had to watch each other’s back during an ambush.</p>
<p>“You gonna be like this until the sun rises?” Kibum asks him. Minho knows what he’s picking on; he’s not quite sure Kibum wants to hear the answer.</p>
<p>“Didn’t know what I was in for tonight, that was all.”</p>
<p>Kibum’s already sensed the truth beneath that, Minho can tell by the twitch of his fingers around the nearly empty can of beer, nails denting the aluminum. Jinki must have thought he’d hired a bodyguard for him by showing Jonghyun Minho’s text, both probably agreeing that two Slayers were always better than one.</p>
<p>“Who’d have thought,” Kibum doesn’t mumble, despite the alcohol. “Choi Minho, savior of the world, almost taken out by a puny little creeper. No wonder our Watchers are worried.”</p>
<p>“You think I don’t know that?”</p>
<p>“And?”</p>
<p>“I’m doing what I have to do. I survived in the end.” Minho puts down his empty beer can, the weight of one already too much to bear. “I’m surviving.”</p>
<p>“We’re meant to live though.”</p>
<p>“Maybe you are.”</p>
<p>The kitchen had never been brightly lit, but Minho actually feels the darkness now. It looms large and heavy, pressing into his head and chest.</p>
<p>There’s a clink of aluminum on wood; another beer can has been set down. Minho guesses that Kibum’s going in for a second round, until he finds those long, nimble fingers brushing across the crook of his arm, callused fingertips and blunt nails gentle on his skin. He looks up and his gaze instinctively shifts to Kibum’s mouth, gauging its dangers against the one promise it always delivers on.</p>
<hr/>
<p>He comes hard inside the hollow formed by Kibum’s fist around him, while Kibum laves his tongue over his chest, scouring his naked skin. It’s a favor he’ll return to Kibum when he regains his vigor, flipping him onto his back with practiced ease. He’ll bury himself here, getting high on Kibum’s grunts and moans, until the morning resurrects them to start over again.</p>
<p>It’s another reminder that they can start at all.   </p>
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